Desiccating apparatus.



1. 0. MAcLACHLAN. DESICCATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16 1914.

Patented May 11, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. C. MAcLACHLAN.

DESICGATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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I 1. c. MACLA HLANI Patent ed May 11, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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-DESICCATING APPARATUS.

To all whom itmag concern: a

Be it knownthat I, JOHN C. MAOLAGH LAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county "of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Desiccating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in desiccating apparatus,'ancl is fully'described and explained in the specification and shown in the accom: panying drawings, in which 3 Figure 1 is a transverse section through my improved device; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the, broken line 2 of Fig. 1,

certain of the parts being broken away in diflerentparts of the figure to'show various details of construction; Fig. 8 is atransverse section of certain parts on a larger scale than that shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 'is a horizontal section on the line 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 5 are walls which inclose the apparatus and form a chamber. -Hot dry air may be led into the chamber through an intake port or opening 6, and the fluid to be desiccated enters through intake ports or openings 7 at the upper part of the chamber. The moist air is led out through exhaust ports 8 which are, in practice, connected to a suction device. The mouths of the exhaust-ports are covered by screens 9 to catch any of the desiccated product which may pass through the collecting means, hereinafter to be described.

'Along the center of the chamber is a screw-conveyer 10 which runs-in the bottom of a trough 11 of sheet-metal, the conveyer operating to force the desiccatingmaterial constantly forward out ofthe chamber and into a suitable receptacle provided to receive it, as thatshown at 12, Fig. 2. Extending upwardly and outwardly from this conveyer, or more'properly speaking from the upper edges of the trough in which rests, and terminating at the side-walls of the chamber are the material-screening devices upon j which the desiccated material comes to rest.

The main frame-work of the screening mechanism consists of beams 13 which lie in the plane of the screeningmeans running from the floor to the wall. These beams are connected by screens 14, each of which is in the form of a relatively-narrow strip extending longitudinally from end to end of the chamber, the screens being separated by Specification of Letters Patent.

spaces at intervals.

. Paten ed May 11., 19 5.

' Application filed March 16,1914. Serial No. 824,982.

Overlying the screened surface thus provided is a woven fabric 15 in the form of loose folds or plaits, the

plaits extending up and down so that any material which collects in them will run down into the trough 11 to be caught by the conveyer 10. The cloth, which therefore serves as the ultimate screen upon which the material is caught, has a very large area, so that there is no tendency fora heavy accumulation of material in any given position, nor is there anyvery violent flow of air to any one part thereof such as might tend to compact the material thereon.

For the purpose of agitating the cloth and shaking down'the desiccated product, the beams 13 have journaled upon them crankshafts-16 connected to the cloth as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. I These shafts extend out of the desiccating chamber and mav be operated at any face of the cloth and shake down the material. By this mechanism it is found that time to agitate the surthe desired result in this art is very eflectively and cheaply attained. The product is perfectly uniform because it is all deposited on the same kind of surface under substantially the same conditions and is subjected after its deposition to substantially the same suction, and a very gentle suction. Furthermore, the cloth area upon which the material comes to rest is so large, and the suction is thereby so reduced, that the material does nottend to pass through the cloth to any considerable extent and so be lost with the moist air passing from the exiteport.

I realize that considerable variation is pos-.

sible in the details of the construction herein shown, thereto, except as pointed out in the following claims, claim all the novelty inherent in the device as broadly as is permitted by the state of the art.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent :e v

1. A desiccating apparatus comprising a chamber having intake and exhaust ports, the exhaust-ports being located at opposite sides, and oppositely flaring screening means interposed between the intake and'exhaust ports converging toward the center of the chamber. at their lower ends, and a con veyer to receive the'material falling from the screening devices.

and I do not intend.to limit myself in which it is my intention to of the trough to the walls of the chamber.

3. In a desiccating apparatus, including a desiccating chamber having intake and exhaust ports, an inclined screen interposed between the intake and exhaust orts and havin a surface composed of plaited cloth in which the plaits extend up and down on the inclined surface, for the purpose se forth.

4. A desiccating apparatus, comprising, in combination, a chamber having intake ports at its upper end and exhaust-ports on opposite sides of its lower end, a conveyer at the center of the chamber, oppositely-inclining screening devices extending upward from the conveyor having screening surfaces consisting of cloth lying in plaits, the line of plaits being up and down to form ways in which the material may run to the conveyer.

5. In a desiccating apparatus, including a desic ating chamber having intake and exhaust ports, an inclined screening device interposed between the intake and exhaust ports and having a surface formed of cloth with plaits therein running up and down to form ways for the purpose set forth, in combination Withmeans for agitating the cloth to shake down the material.

(3. In a desiccating apparatus, including a desiccating chamber having intake and exhaustports,an inclined screening device interposed between the intake and exhaust ports and having a surface formed of cloth with plaits therein running up and down to form ways for the purpose set forth, in combination with cranleshafts having connection with the cloth for agitating the same to shake down the material;

7. In combination, walls inclo'sing a desiceating chamber provided with intake-ports at their upper ends and exhaust ports on opposite sides of theirlower ends, a central conveyor, screening devices extending upwardly and outwardly from the conveyor and each havin a cloth-screening surface formed into. .laits running up and down to feed materla to the conveyor, and agitating v 1,1se,7ee

devices for shaking the cloth, for the purpose set forth.

8. A desiccating apparatus comprising,

in combination, walls inclosing a desiccating -chamber and provided with liquid and air gitudinally of the trough, oppositely inclined screening devices extending between the edges of the trough and the walls of the chamber to divide the chamber into upper and lower compartments, and an exhaust connection tapped into the wall of the lower compartment.

9. A desiccating apparatus comprising, in combination, walls lnclosing a desiceating chamber and provided with liquid and air intake ports at their upper ends, a collecting trough passing across the chamber and having in its bottom a conveyor for feeding longitudinally of the trough, oppositely inclinedscreening devices extending between the edges of the trough and the walls of the chamber to divide the chamber into upper and lower compartments, mechanical connoctions for agitating the screening devices to shake down, deposited matter into the trough, and an exhaust connection tapped into the wall of the lower compartment.

10. A desiccating apparatus comprising, in combination, walls inclosing a desiccating chamber and provided with liquid and air intake ports at their upper ends a collecting trough extending across the chamber along its bottom wall, a conveyor within the trough for feeding material longitudinally thereof, oppositely inclined screening devices extending between the edges of the trough and the walls of the chamber to divide the chamber into a single upper and a pair of opposite lower compartments, mechanical connections for agitating the screening devices to shake down deposited material into the trough, and anexhaust connection tapped into each of the lower "compartments.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of March, 19 Ll.

JOHN C. MAcLAGIILAN. I

In presence of- A. C. Flscnnn, F.- A. FLoReLL. 

